Multi-omics and potential applications in wine production

Abstract

The wine microbiome - that is the microbial communities associated with the fermentation of must, is one of the most important factors in transforming grapes to wine, including flavour and aroma. Recent developments in high throughput sequencing and other 'omics methodologies are rapidly changing the level and complexity of information that we are able to extract from the wine microbiome. This will significantly enhance not only our understanding of which microbes are present at the various stages of the grapevine growth and winemaking process, but also improve our understanding of the complex interactions between microbes, the substrate and environment, ultimately shaping wine production. In this perspective we describe the role and future potential of such techniques in wine production, and highlight the potential challenges that will be simultaneously faced.